Mitt Romney Getting Positive Reviews From Experienced Political Warriors

One of the most common criticism of Mitt Romney is that he's already had a chance at running for President and that people shouldn't give him a second chance in 2012. However, Mitt Romney is surprising a lot of people who have been in politics for a very long time with the way he's been running the campaign and the speeches he has been giving on the campaign trail. 

For example Peggy Noonan writes that she was startled by how impressive Mitt Romney has been on the campaign trial:

In other news, Mitt Romney had his first good week. It was startling. He stepped out from the blur. The other candidates now call him "the front runner." By most standards he was the front runner months ago, but nobody talked about him. He didn't live in the Republican imagination. It was "Will Mitch run?" and "You like Pawlenty?" Only seven minutes into the conversation would you get, "How will Romney do?" He was so '08, that disastrous year.

But this week he got three big boosts. He had a reasonable announcement speech followed by a lot of national interviews. Then the Washington Post poll: Mr. Romney leads President Obama. On top of that, the two most visible Republicans the past 10 days were Sarah Palin, on her magical mystery tour, and him. They got all the coverage, and for a moment it seemed like a two-person race. Meaning a lot of Republicans got to think, "Hmm, Palin or Romney—a trip to Crazytown or the man of sober mien." That did not hurt him. 

But Peggy Noonan should not have been surprised. After all, she did say during the last few days of the 2008 Republican primaries that Mitt Romney was the most conservative candidate in the race:

The Republican contest may well end on Tuesday, but I sense little relief and much unease. In terms of avowed programs, policies and approaches, Mitt Romney was the more conservative candidate, and his even-keeled air won many friends. He offered executive experience and business acumen. As for how he came across, here is Mike Deaver on Ronald Reagan: “This is a face that when the baby sees it, the baby smiles.”

Not everyone was intially a fan of Mitt Romney. Dick Morris was adamantly against Mitt Romney as recently as last April. However, even a hardened and seasoned political warrior like Dick Morris has been impressed with the former governor of Massachusetts: 

"I was at the Faith and Freedom Coalition last week.... and I heard them [the candidates] all speak. Romney was Reaganesque. Absolutely incredible."

What we're seeing is not only average Americans warming up to Mitt Romney but political warriors as well. As Mitt Romney heads into 2012, more and more Americans will be impressed with Mitt Romney. They will see him as the even-keeled, calm and focused leader our country needs.